The advent of the cellular telephone has provided the consuming public with an enhanced mobility providing a means for remaining in constant communication with friends or business associates. However, despite the popularity of two-way wireless communication as provided by the cellular telephone, a radio frequency receiving unit commonly referred to as a pager remains the most prominent one-way wireless communicator for informing the carrier of the pager that they are being sought out for purposes of communication. The pager has numerous advantages including low cost, compactness, and screening ability that make it the most widely accepted form of communication. Typically the holder of a paging unit would receive a communication directly wherein the paging unit would provide an audio signal that a paging signal has been received, further providing a digital readout of the received message.
A primary advantage of the pager is its ability to allow the holder to screen calls and return them when convenient. For instance, a person attending a meeting could turn the audio sound of the pager off wherein a call could still be received and the holder could review messages at a later time. Improvements to the pager allow many such devices to vibrate so as to signal the holder that a call has been received, thus eliminating the disturbance of an audio signal.
A problem with cellular telephones is their limited battery life requiring recharging approximately every twelve hours. Actual life of the battery is dependant upon how many times the phone is used, for constant use could cause the battery to drain within hours. Alternatively, a major advantage to the pager is its ability to operate in a constant on position for periods exceeding one year.
Further, the cellular telephone requires the user to answer the phone in order to determine who is calling. Thus, the user is charged a fee for the privilege of answering any call, even a wrong call. Should the user simply wait to tell the caller that it is an inappropriate time to talk, the user is still charged a fee. All of which the above consumes valuable battery time.
Thus, combinations of the pager and cellular telephone satisfy numerous situations and it is not uncommon for a telephone company to sell both a pager and a cellular telephone. The consumer would carry both devices and should they receive notice of a call on the pager, they may immediately return the call if deemed important or wait until later if more convenient. The pager operates to screen incoming calls and saves on battery recharging. Both the telephone and the pager can be attached to the consumer's belt.
However, most consumers do not care to dangle multiple electronic devices off of their belt or add to the confines of a purse. Yet what remains is the need for combination pager and cellular telephone.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,473 assigned to Motorola discloses a combination pager and cellular telephone. However, the circuitry of the pager is incorporated into the circuitry of two devices wherein a page can be received and automatically transferred to the cellular phone for redialing without the need for re-inputting the received number. The cellular telephone/pager combination utilizes the same antenna and rechargeable battery. Thus, the problem with the device is that the cellular telephone must be carried constantly even if only the paging portion is utilized. For example, one of the major benefits of a pager is its compact size that allows it to be carried in most any instance such as when a consumer is exercising. By use of the Motorola device the individual would have to carry the combination telephone and pager which is cumbersome and not always necessary for the particular response sought.
Thus, what is need in the art is a cellular telephone and pager combination that operates in combination or allows an individual to detach the pager for use in its conventional manner, as well as the telephone to be used in its conventional manner.